


Hot Topic

by lunaxluv



Category: Carmilla (Web Series), Carmilla - J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-14 15:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17511029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunaxluv/pseuds/lunaxluv
Summary: Laura and Carmilla meet at the mall.





	Hot Topic

_That is a lot of piercings_ , Laura thought to herself with wide eyes. She had never been inside Hot Topic--until now, at least--and for good reason. The employees, combined with the loud, angry music, scared her. Plus, she was pretty sure that the sales associate that just greeted her was a vampire.

_Just focus on why you're here and get out._

Laura tore her eyes away from the man with assorted face jewelry and resumed her scanning of the various merchandise.

When on her way to Bed Bath & Beyond, her attention had been grabbed when she noticed a window sign with a Harry Potter logo on it in the corner of her eye. Unable to resist, she excitedly made her way into the store, not realizing that she had entered her worst nightmare.

Looking completely out of place in her bright yellow cardigan and flats, Laura frantically searched the shelves, desperately trying to find Hufflepuff anything.

"Gosh, darn it! Can't a girl get a pair of socks that don't say Slytherin on them?" she muttered, clearly upset by the overwhelming majority of apparel dedicated to Hogwarts houses that were not her own.

"You have something against Slytherins?"

Laura jumped, turning around at the sound of a voice--a voice that belonged to a girl.

"Oh-I-You-" Laura stuttered, finding herself unable to speak as she looked up at who was in front of her.

She was taller than Laura, but still shorter than most. Her hair was dark and tied back in a pony tail, and her skin was like porcelain, making the black choker she wore stand out against her pale neck. In fact, everything she was wearing was black. Her eyes were a deep pool of brown and stared at her with a mischievous look in them. Laura also noticed that she wore a name-tag.

**Carmilla**

"Cause I think we both know Slytherin is the best house, cutie," she finished, her voice sounding smooth and sultry.

Laura's eyes widened, being brought out of her trance and back into reality. "It most certainly is not!" she exclaimed.

Carmilla raised an eyebrow. "No?"

Laura shook her head. "Third best, maybe."

"Let me guess," she dragged out her words, exaggerating every syllable, "Hufflepuff?"

Laura beamed. "Yup! I have to say though, I'm a little disappointed by your limited assortment of merchandise here." she frowned, looking at the shelf she had been rummaging through a minute ago.

"You'd have to take that up with the boss. I don't get much of a say of what goes out here. If I did, all of the Disney merch would be gone."

She looked down, nodding, and then immediately stopped, her eyes finding Carmilla's again.

"Wait a minute--you don't like Disney?" she gasped, looking at the black covered employee with shock.

Carmilla chuckled, folding her arms and resting them just below her chest. "I have a feeling that if I answer that, I'm going to regret it."

Laura smiled in response to her laugh. "You know what, I'm just going to pretend like I didn't hear you."

"Great."

She blushed, feeling flustered, and moved her hair out of her face. Carmilla looked at her, her eyes flicking down for a moment and then back up again. Her lips were curled upward. Laura cleared her throat, unsure of what to do.

"Right," Carmilla broke the silence, "well, if you need anything, let me know." she nodded toward her and Laura thanked her.

She left, heading over to the other side of the store, and as she walked away, Laura watched her, noticing that she was wearing a pair of high-waist shorts and knee-high socks. She bit her lip as Carmilla disappeared from view.

"Okay, you can not be falling for a girl who works at Hot Topic!" She whispered to herself, glancing at her Doctor Who watch.

She had about two hours until she needed to leave and she still hadn't been to where she had originally planned on going.

_Perry will kill me if I don't get everything on the list, especially the dish towels!_

Looking down at the shelf one last time, she turned, leaving the store with empty hands and a racing mind.

___

Carmilla had been at work for a mere two hours and was already ready to leave. There was only so many Supernatural T-shirts and animal themed onesies she could hang up before she wanted to tear her hair out and scream. Plus, she was starting to get a headache from listening to Bring Me The Horizon play out of the speakers above on what seemed like repeat.

 _"_ Jesus fucking christ _,"_  she muttered, forcefully emptying the last of the newly priced merchandise into a giant discounted bin. She sighed, smoothing back her the few pieces of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail and let her eyes wander around the store. 

There were hardly any customers inside the store, she noted, although she was not surprised. It was always slow during this time of the day, which is why she always chose this shift. There was only so many people she could deal with at a time.

Her scan came to a halt towards the front of the store, where she spotted a blob of bright yellow and hands flying in all directions. Narrowing her eyes, she watched a girl rummage though the merchandise she had just so neatly set up a half hour ago. 

_You've got to me kidding me._

Setting down the now empty box that had once been full of clothes, she started walking towards her, plastering a fake smile on her face to mask the anger she felt bubbling inside her.

"Great," she muttered as she got closer, noticing where the girl had stationed herself. "another fandom-crazed lunatic."

 Her voice filled Carmilla's ears.

"Gosh, darn it! Can't a girl get a pair of socks that don't say Slytherin on them?"

"You have something against Slytherins?" She replied, coming to a halt just a few feet behind her. She shifted her weight to her left leg, gently resting her right foot over the other and placing her hands on her hips.

The girl jumped, immediately turning around.

"Oh-I-You-" she stuttered, her eyes seeming glued to Carmilla's face and her face full of shock and embarrassment.

She didn't look half bad, although her bad taste in clothing and clear lack of a hairbrush was a little off-putting, not to mention the sheer amount of insanity she could sense in her.

"Cause I think we both know Slytherin is the best house, cutie." Carmilla finished with a smirk.

For some reason, she liked the idea of making her even more flustered than she already was.

The girl's eyes widened, and Carmilla felt satisfaction in her reaction. "It most certainty is not!"

"No?"

She shook her head. "Third best, maybe."

"Let me guess, Hufflepuff?"

She smiled. "Yup! I have to say though, I'm a little disappointed by your limited assortment of merchandise here." 

"You'd have to take that up with the boss. I don't get much of a say of what goes out here. If I did, all of the Disney merch would be gone."

She looked down, nodding, and then immediately stopped, her eyes finding Carmilla's again.

"Wait a minute--you don't like Disney?" she gasped, looking at the black covered employee with shock.

The truth was, she didn't mind it, but she didn't need to know that.

Carmilla laughed, folding her arms. "I have a feeling that if I answer that, I'm going to regret it."

Laura smiled. "You know what, I'm just going to pretend like I didn't hear you."

"Great."

Carmilla could tell that she was nervous as she watched her move her hair out of her face, her cheeks starting to turn pink. She felt herself wanting to smile and pursed her lips instead.

"Right," she said, not liking the silence, "well, if you need anything, let me know." 

The girl thanked her, and Carmilla nodded, leaving to go back to stacking Pop! figures and combat boots.

Once she returned to her original spot to collect the empty box, she turned around to see if the girl was still there, but when she did, she was gone. 

"See you around, Hufflepuff," she muttered, shaking her head as her lips curled upward.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! I enjoy reading your comments!


End file.
